Chapter 23
As she’d promised, Virginia was gone by the time the rest of the house was up.
Zoe had thankfully slept through her leaving, but had gone into the guest room first thing to tidy around before she went to work and found the pyjamas she’d left out for their guest unworn, still folded neatly on a chair where Zoe had left them.
The skincare Virginia had borrowed was sitting on top of them, and the bed had been made.
It smelled of her perfume, mixed with the remains of the beer she and Alex had been drinking the night before.
Zoe threw open a window and then went downstairs for breakfast.
‘You look healthy,’ she said to Alex, who was sipping coffee, dark shadows around his eyes and stubble around his jaw.
‘I’ve been better, but I suppose I only have myself to blame.’
‘Where’s Billie?’
‘Not up yet. Want a coffee?’
‘I’ll get it.’
‘I can—’
‘It’s fine, sit down. I’m more than capable.’
He did as he was asked, but he watched her carefully as she moved around the kitchen. Eventually, he spoke.
‘You’re upset with me.’
Zoe turned to him, her hands curled around the coffee she’d decided to drink standing at the counter. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘Sarcasm, first thing. Nice, but I’m too tired for it.’
‘So am I,’ Zoe said.
‘So why don’t you come out with what’s eating you?’
‘Nothing is eating me. Why don’t you say what you mean instead of using ridiculous phrases?’
‘This is about Virginia. I had to ask her to stay over – what else was I meant to do?’
‘I know, and it’s not about that.’
‘So there is something?’
‘Leave it. I don’t have time for this; I’m running late as it is.’
‘You’re not doing anything now. You’re drinking coffee…’
Zoe went to the table and slammed her mug down. ‘Have my coffee then because I don’t have time to drink it.’
She marched up the stairs, rage bubbling inside her. On the landing, she met Billie, coming out of her room with Louisa, looking as tired as everyone else.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Of course,’ Zoe said, trying to smooth her expression. ‘Are you? I heard Louisa wake last night earlier than normal. She’s not still feeling the after-effects of the virus, is she?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Billie said, regarding Zoe carefully. ‘Has she gone?’
‘Virginia? Yes, she went early doors – I didn’t even hear her leave.’
‘I heard her come to bed, though,’ Billie said.
‘Hmmm…’ Zoe replied as neutrally as she could. ‘Me too. I suppose the house is older and creakier than you realise, especially at night.’
‘I thought I might go and see Maisie today.’
‘That’s nice – she’ll be happy to see you.’
‘I also thought… Never mind.’
Zoe frowned. ‘I don’t have much time to spare this morning, but if you needed to get something off your chest—’
‘It’s OK; it’s nothing really. Nothing that won’t wait.’
‘You don’t seem sure…’ Zoe tried to offer a reassuring smile, but it was hard-won. ‘I can make time for you always – you must know that.’
Billie hesitated. ‘I…’
Louisa began to wriggle in her arms, and then Grizzle came bounding up the stairs, having been alerted to the fact that his favourite member of the family was up, and the moment for whatever Billie had been about to say was gone.
Zoe reached to fuss the dog. He tolerated her for a moment but immediately turned to sniff around Billie with far more interest.
‘I’ll see you later,’ Zoe said.
Billie gave a brief nod and took Louisa down to the kitchen, Grizzle dancing at her heels and threatening to send them all tumbling down together.
Zoe frowned as she read the email from the hospital.
Sam was still a worry, her morning sickness having spiked so badly again that she’d been admitted to hospital for a second time.
At least there would be input from a consultant team on hand, and so Zoe tried to put any worries about that case out of her mind.
Groggy from her broken sleep and having a fifteen-minute gap in her schedule, Zoe decided to go and get herself a coffee.
Shabana was in the kitchen making chamomile tea.
‘Morning! I’m glad I’ve seen you. I was going to come and tell you I went to see Ottilie—’
‘Shit!’ Zoe pushed her fringe from her face with a grimace of apology. ‘I said I’d talk to her for you, didn’t I? I’m so sorry – it totally slipped my mind!’
‘It’s all right,’ Shabana said brightly.
‘I know you’ve got a lot on. Ottilie said she hadn’t seen you for ages and she thought the same, what with the campsite opening and all that.
Anyway, you were right, she had been considering cutting her hours so she could spend more time with Anthony.
So I asked her about a job-share, and she said we’d have to get together and work something out.
We’re not quite sure how we can time it, with her ready to come back to work when I go on maternity leave…
but we both think there must be a way around it. ’
‘That’s great!’ Zoe went to the kettle and put a hand to it to find it was still warm. ‘I would talk to Simon about it sooner rather than later, if I were you. Better to warn him and then you can all have a brainstorm about how to do it.’
‘I think so too. I told Ottilie I’d run it by him. I suppose we have to ask Emilia too.’
‘Probably, as a courtesy, though I doubt she cares so much about who does the job and how they divide it up, as long as it’s done.’
Shabana lowered her voice. ‘I find her… intimidating.’
‘You wouldn’t be the first,’ Zoe said. ‘But she’s all right really. She’s just a bit serious.’
‘Lavender says she wouldn’t know what a happy thought was if it bit her on the backside.’
‘They’re not the best of pals… I’m sure you’ve noticed.’
‘You’ve known her for years, haven’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘So it’s no wonder you feel a lot more comfortable around her. It must help.’
Zoe nodded as she stirred her coffee. She hadn’t felt so comfortable around Emilia that she’d been able to confide in her when she’d needed to offload.
She wasn’t sure if that said more about Emilia or her own difficulty in coming to terms with the changes she was currently going through.
She only knew that if she didn’t find an outlet soon, she might just explode.
As the day wore on, Zoe was distracted more and more by the way she’d left Hilltop that morning.
She hated that her goodbye to Alex had been so cold and that Billie was obviously aware something wasn’t right between them.
She’d texted him to apologise, telling him, again, that they needed to talk later when she was home, and made up her mind that, no matter what else was going on, she’d explain why she was so up and down, and what their future might hold if they stayed together.
But there was no reply. She tried phoning, but it went straight to his answer service.
Was he ignoring her? Was he madder than she’d realised? Or had something else happened?
Filled with misgivings, when lunchtime came, she phoned Billie instead.
‘He’s gone to Nottingham,’ she said, Louisa crying in the background.
‘Nottingham? What for?’
‘Not sure. He said something, but I was busy. I suppose it’s something to do with the case.’
‘Couldn’t he phone Virginia? Or email?’
‘I don’t know. He said he had to go and see someone.’
Zoe’s gaze went to the window. ‘I’ve tried to get hold of him and he’s not replying.’
‘I don’t know what to tell you. Want me to text?’
‘Could you?’
‘What should I say?’
‘I don’t know… Ask what time he’s due back so we know what to do about dinner.’
‘Is that really what you want me to ask?’
Zoe paused. It wasn’t. What she really needed to know was why he’d suddenly raced off to Nottingham. Especially given he’d seen Virginia the previous evening and that she’d driven back a matter of hours before he’d followed.
‘Yes,’ she replied finally. ‘It’s odd for him to dash off like that, and it would be handy to know when he’ll be back, won’t it? Are you OK there on your own?’
‘Of course I am,’ Billie said in the exasperated tone she reserved for when she thought Zoe was fretting unnecessarily. Which seemed to be a lot these days. ‘It’s not like I’ve never been in the house alone before.’
‘Sorry. I meant with the campsite being occupied.’
‘I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything. They’re doing their own thing over there, and Dad has kept out of it this time, so nobody has been near the house since they arrived.’
‘You’re still planning to see Maisie?’
‘If Victor can give me a lift. I could walk, but I don’t have the energy today.’
You and me both…
‘Right then. I’ll see you later.’
‘Do you want me to text Dad about dinner or not?’
‘No,’ Zoe decided. ‘We won’t disturb him if he’s seeing someone.’
There had been no word from Alex by the time Zoe left work, and Zoe was more jittery about it than ever. She was driving through the village when she noticed Billie come out of the shop. She pulled over and opened the window.
‘Need a lift back up the hill?’ she asked, resolving not to bring up Alex’s absence and her worries about it for fear it might alarm Billie unnecessarily.
‘That’s good timing,’ Billie said, taking Louisa out of the pushchair.
Zoe killed the engine and loaded the buggy into the car while Billie fastened Louisa into the car seat and then got in herself.
‘You saw Maisie?’ Zoe restarted the engine.
Billie nodded.
‘How is she?’
‘Same as always. I think Ezra is deaf. Maisie does too. He doesn’t notice, no matter how much noise you make, not like Louisa does, but he’s fascinated when you show him something in front of his face, so he’s smart enough.’
‘I suppose she’ll have an official verdict soon,’ Zoe said. ‘The sooner the better, so the clinic can start to put help in place for them.’
‘She says Fern heard from the council about their house. They might be able to have it next month if they want it. Maisie’s getting nervous about it now, though. She didn’t seem as keen as she was, and she hasn’t told her mum yet.’
‘You think she’ll get cold feet?’